Tips For Exercise in the Heat

Elaina Biechler (Iowa) is fast, as in Kona fast. She's also smart, as in PhD smart, teaching college courses in Sports Nutrition and Anatomy & Physiology. Put these two together, and she knows a thing or two about athletic performance... here's some great info on training in summer heat.

Tips for Exercise in the Heat:

As we enter the dog days of summer, I’ve been asked by multiple clients for tips on how to deal with the heat. The unfortunate news is- no matter who you are, the heat will negatively impact your performance. I can however offer a few tips for how to minimize the negative effects, as well as a few nutritional advices in hopes of preventing dehydration in a hot environment.

If you monitor your exercise intensity via heart rate: know that in a hot environment, your heart rate will be elevated significantly compared to a cooler environment. If your heart rate is normally around 150 bpm while running an 8:00/mile, when it’s hot out, and running the same pace, your heart rate may be 165 -170 bpm. This tends to be more significant in females, but males will also see some increase in heart rate. This doesn’t mean that you’re suddenly out of shape. 

It means that your body is trying to complete two major tasks: maintain your exercise intensity, and get rid of heat. Our perception of exertion is also significantly higher in a hot environment. If running an 8:00/mile is moderately challenging on a normal day, in a hot environment, it might seem significantly harder. The more overheated or dehydrated you become, the more significant your increase in heart rate and perception of work effort will be. Don’t worry, this does NOT mean you are out of shape, it does not mean to throw your training out the window! Don’t panic! If 8:00/mile is your normal running pace, don’t be afraid to slow this down in the heat. Trying to maintain your regular speed in a hot condition (particularly if it is humid) could result in heat illness.

Can we acclimatize to the heat?

A classic study done by Nielsen et al. (1993) showed that heat acclimation can occur in 9-12 days of consecutive exposure to heat. Optimal exercise duration during the acclimatization phase is around 90-100 minutes. Following regular heat exposure, subjects were able to exercise 80 minutes to exhaustion on average compared to 48 minutes leading up to acclimatization! Subjects also showed a lower core temperature and an increased sweat rate following regular heat exposure (which is good!). Adaptations to the heat depend highly on exercise intensity, duration, number of hot exposures and whether the heat is dry or humid.

What if you can’t acclimatize to the heat where you live?

New research supports the concept that heat acclimation may actually occur with a hot water bath as well! Zurawlew (2016) recently reported that a 40 minute hot water bath immediately following exercise had heat acclimatizing properties. 17 males completed six days of hot water bath immersion after exercise, and resulted in significant improvements in endurance performance in a hot environment. Seems like a reasonable idea if you are planning on traveling somewhere warm for a race, yet you live someplace cold!

Regardless of who you are (novice or elite, male or female), studies generally report that a hot environment will decrease performance by at least 10-20%. With heat acclimation, you may evade this by about 5-8%, but will still ultimately have some decrease in performance. The traditional recommendations regarding heat acclimation:

• 10 days 
• 100 minutes per day (doing more than this doesn’t induce a faster/ better response)- less than this may require more than 10 days 
• At the temperature you wish to compete at 
• At the intensity you wish to compete at 
• The majority (75-80%) of the adaptation occurs in the first 4-7 days 

Nutrition/ Hydration Tips for the Heat:

The key to proper hydration in a hot environment involves increased hydration prior to the exercise bout, increased fluid intake during the exercise, and rehydration immediately following. The major issue in the heat is with such a high sweat rate it is almost impossible to intake enough fluid during the exercise to prevent some level of dehydration. While drinking water might be good enough under normal circumstances, in the heat, it might be appropriate to also consume some carbohydrates and electrolytes as well. There are many effective brands for carbohydrate beverages and endurance supplements- my recommendation is to try many types, and find out what sits well/ works best for you. Ideal fluid guidelines, which of course can vary from person to person depending on exercise intensity, body size, and environmental conditions:

• 20 ounces of fluid prior to exercise (1hr) 
• 7-10 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes during prolonged exercise 
• In a hot humid environment we can lose up to 2-3 L of fluid per hour!!! 
• Following exercise, consume 16-24 ounces of fluid per every pound lost 

Related Posts:

Tapering 101: The Hard Facts

Triple Threat Profile: Elaina Biechler - Iowa

Treadmill Drudgery vs. Outdoor Running?

Nielsen, B., Hales, J., Strange, S., et al. (1993). Human circulatory and thermoregulatory adaptations with heat acclimation and exercise in a hot, dry environment.

Tatterson, A., Hahn, A., Martini, D., & Febbraio, M. (2000). Effects of heat stress on physiological responses and exercise performance in elite cyclist. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 3 (2), 186-193.

Zurawlew, M., Walsh, N., Fortes, M., & Potter, C. (2016). Post exercise hot water immersion induces heat acclimation and improves endurance exercise performance in the heat. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports 26 (7), 11.


A study looking at elite cyclists reported a 6.5% decrease in power output in a 30 minute cycling time trial in a hot environment when compared to a thermoneutral environment (Tatterson et al., 2000).

Should You Train When You're Sick??

'Tis the season! Flu season that is... thankfully (knock on wood) I've been able to avoid it so far, despite not getting a flu shot as I've done in past years. 

Hopefully none of us will need it, but thought I'd re-post this advice from last year just in case.


The holidays were great this year, with family coming in from the east coast and Texas for a nice gathering. Especially this time of year, when you pack a lot of people under one roof, the chance of germs spreading like wildfire increases dramatically. What seemed to start with my daughter soon was passed to me, my wife, dad, and brother-in-law. It was just your run-of-the-mill cold… sore throat turning to leaky faucet nose turning to cough, but I was feeling pretty run-down for a few days. From a training perspective the timing was good, as it was a planned recovery week for me anyways. However, I once again was faced with the age old question:

Should you or shouldn’t you train when you’re sick??

In a nutshell, I think the answer is “listen to your body.” When I feel a cold coming on, I almost always cut back volume and/or intensity, but it often helps me feel a lot better to get in a modified workout. This is of course on both a physical and psychological level. For example, I went for an easy ride last Wed, a group Thanksgiving Day run, and played a little basketball on Fri. I could tell that I wasn’t 100%, but it felt great to work up a sweat.

Listening to your body also means knowing when to pull the plug. Saturday for example I had wanted to get in a short bike and/or run, but I was feeling completely wiped out. The thought of powering through a workout sounded terrible, and all I wanted to do was lay down. In those situations you have to be disciplined enough to let it go and rest up.

In addition to my experiences, I did a little research on the subject and found the following general info & guidelines:

• First of all, good news: fit people recover more quickly and experience milder symptoms than more sedentary folks according to various studies, yet another benefit of exercise

• If you feel as if you're coming down with a typical cold you can still exercise without significant limitations

• That said, obviously cut back if you feel worse after your workout. Take a few days off or reduce your effort to 50%.

• Remember the “above-the-neck” rule: if your symptoms include a runny nose, dry cough or sneezing you should be fine to exercise. Rest if your symptoms are below the neck, such a chest congestion, muscle aches, upset stomach, etc.

• Stay home if you have a fever, stomach symptoms or the flu

• If you're wiped out with fatigue there's no reason to work out. Also remember you're contagious the first 5-7 days.

• Rest allows your immune system to recover

• The basics: get plenty of sleep, fluids, and use OTC medications to help with symptoms

• Don't go 100% the first three or four days back. Start at 75% and increase gradually for the first week or so.

Happy (and healthy) New Year!

Winter Running... Treadmill Drudgery vs Outdoor Running?

In need of a treadmill upgrade? Check out this excellent, thorough review! 

https://www.reviews.com/treadmills/


Elaina Mertens (Iowa) is fast, as in Kona fast. She's also smart, as in PhD smart, teaching college courses in Sports Nutrition and Anatomy & Physiology. Put these two together, and she knows a thing or two about athletic performance... we'd all be wise to listen and listen good.


Is running on a treadmill the same as running outside? There are pros and cons to both outdoor running and treadmill running- we will take a scientific approach at comparing the two and what is best for maintaining your fitness through the tough winter months. 

Specificity of training

While running on a treadmill is without a doubt boring, it is an excellent tool for speed specificity. One of the best predicting factors for determining running race performance is the pace at which you complete your workouts. Interval work completed at goal race pace helps your body get accustomed to running at that specific speed. The closer this speed is to your race pace, the more comfortable this pace should theoretically be once you get in a race situation. For example, completing 800 meter repeats at your 5k race pace is a great way to physiologically prepare for this speed come race day. This type of workout is easy to replicate on a treadmill. Trying to hit this same particular pace while drudging through snow and ice may be nearly impossible.

In relation to training specificity, we also know that running a 7:00 mile on a treadmill is metabolically easier than running a 7:00 mile outside for a few reasons. First, even flat, fast running courses will have small amounts of incline and declines unless you are racing on a track. 

Even minor changes in terrain cause an increase in energy output when running outside. Secondly, when running on a treadmill, wind is a non-issue. Even on a still day while running outside, you must propel your body forward, resulting in a wind resistance equivocal to speed at which you are moving. When running on a treadmill, you do not propel your body forward, you stay in the same location, which equates to running with a tailwind equal to however fast you are moving (if you are running 7 mph on a treadmill, this is equal to a 7 mph tailwind outside).

To counterbalance the differences in terrain and wind resistance eliminated while running on a treadmill, complete all workouts with a grade of 1%. Research shows treadmill running with a grade of 1% is metabolically equal to outdoor running.

some have speculated this is actually
Elaina after an especially cold Iowa run

Pacing

One both advantage and disadvantage to treadmill running is the pace aspect. You can set your speed at your target pace during workouts, allowing you to complete workouts at whatever your desired speed may be. The disadvantage to this is that you don’t learn pace, which may hurt you in a race situation. Developing a sense of pacing is essential in any type endurance running race.

Biomechanics

Turns out, treadmill running biomechanics are essentially the same as outdoor running biomechanics, so long as you don’t have to leap snow piles and icy spots. Also, don’t hold on to the rails while running on the treadmill, this may decrease workload by 28%!

Elaina en route to a coveted Kona spot at IM Wisconsin

Psychological factors

Many researchers have found that time spent outside, especially in green spaces or parks, offers a variety of psychological benefits, including improved mood, improved energy levels, and better sleep. While these benefits are surely received with any mode of continuous exercise, it is unclear as to whether these benefits are as significant while running on a treadmill when compared to outdoor running.

Summary

While there are certainly pros and cons of using both modes of running, it may be smart to use a combination of the two during winter months. If the weather seems too dangerous, such as icy and extremely cold conditions, the treadmill may be a great option. Tempo or interval runs during the winter may be best completed on a treadmill in order to maintain pace specificity if conditions are bad. For easy runs, choosing the great outdoors is the best option! The treadmill can be monotonous and boring, and we also know that being outdoors can provide us with some needed psychological lifts during the dreary winter months! Happy running!!

Elaina's research ranges from compression socks to caffeine dosing. Learn more about the girl, her mad experiments, and how she can make you faster at efitnesscoaching.com!

The Ironman Itch... To Scratch or Not to Scratch?

Once again, I've recently been experiencing symptoms of a condition known as the "Ironman Itch." If it develops into a full-blown case, I will have no choice but to aggressively treat. My symptoms are fairly extreme one day and then return to mild the next... to give you another analogy, I'm the kid standing at the end of the high dive trying to decide if he/she should jump or not!

Ridding oneself of this condition is especially expensive when airfare for my elite "support crew" is involved (mine includes a moral support expert, a strategy guru trained in the arts of lego building and ninja moves, and a preschool-aged zen master mind coach). They bring a lot to the table, but also have their demands. Therefore, I'm strongly leaning towards treatment facilities that are within driving distance.

That said, here are the treatment options currently highest on my list, along with the pros and cons of each as I currently see them:

Treatment Facility: Ironman Coeur d'Alene, aka CDA

Travel required: ~10 hour drive due north, almost to the Canadian border

Some stats:

Race day: used to be late June, moved to late August for 2016 and beyond

2-loop swim

Start elevation: 2141 ft

Total bike course climbing: 5760 ft

Total run course climbing: 1026 ft

Random Trivia:

Coeur means "heart" in French. Not sure about d'Alene.  Of Alene... whoever she is.

Pros: 

• By all accounts this is an amazing venue in a beautiful part of the country
• Race has been around several years, so assuming it's very well-run
• Everyone I've talked to raves about it
• Later race day allows more "in season" time to prepare
• Opportunity to benefit from training at altitude (I live at ~4500 ft above sea level)
• A challenging, but not terrifying course

Cons:

• Seems like they've made this course harder in terms of elevation gain
• Despite the many positive things I've heard, the race didn't sell out this year... why?
• On top of that, it was a record 100+ degrees this year, which will irrationally scare people away
• Many Ironman swim starts are shifting from mass starts to "rolling" starts similar to a large running race... that said, here's what the infamous Iron Cowboy (he of World Record fame with 30 IM distance races in one calendar year and now 50 IMs in 50 states in 50 days!!) had to say about the swim at CDA:

"The swim start was INSANE. I have done a lot of mass starts to this point and this one by far was the most violent. There just wasn’t any open space or free water. Usually things thin out and get less hectic. And at the very least things get spread out enough by the second lap to be less crazy. Well, not in CDA! It was a fight from the word “go” ’till I finally made it to transition. It was by far the most aggressive swim I have ever swam….by far!!!" 

• That said, it's appears official that CDA has gone to a rolling start... 

Treatment Facility: Ironman Lake Tahoe

Travel required: ~8 hour drive west, crossing the Nevada border into California

Some stats:

Race day: mid September

2-loop swim

Start elevation: 6251 ft

Total bike course climbing: 5972 ft

Total run course climbing: 857 ft

Random Trivia: Lake Tahoe is the 2nd deepest lake in the US (500 meters)

Pros: 

• A destination race, Tahoe is amazing from what I've heard
• Shortest drive of the four treatment options
• Epic course. It's Ironman, it's supposed to be hard! Part of me thinks the reward would be greater
• The elevation wouldn't impact me as much as others
• Run course on spectator-friendly trail, looks pretty sweet
• Living in a colder climate, gives me the summer to train

Cons:

• HARD! Highest elevation + most climbing 
• Weather can be suspect - in 2013 it was 43 degrees at the start, and last year was cancelled at the last minute due to air quality (as a result of forest fires in the proximity)
• Inaugural race sold out well over a year ahead of time once announced. This year's has not sold out, 2 months before... folks are definitely scared off (maybe that's a pro??)

Treatment Facility: Ironman Arizona

Travel required: ~10 hour drive south by way of Vegas

hmmm....

Some stats:

Race day: mid November

1-loop swim

Start elevation: 1146 ft

Total bike course climbing: 2577 ft

Total run course climbing: 358 ft

Random Trivia: race used to be held in April

Pros: 

• Drive passes through my in-laws home of St. George, so can break it up (great for my support crew)
• Any Ironman distance race is hard, but this is the "least hard" of the courses... would be motivated to greatly improve my time from my first IM 
• Low elevation race after training at altitude
• Run course on spectator-friendly course, looks pretty sweet
• Living in a colder climate, gives me the summer and early fall to train

Cons:

• Probably the least scenic of the four venues
• 3-loop bike course = congested, drafting?? 
• It's Arizona... I'm guessing November will still be HOT
• Sells out in tenths of a second!  Hard to get into unless you volunteer the year before

Treatment Facility: Vineman Full (not affiliated with the Ironman brand)

Travel required: ~11 hour drive west, a little north of San Francisco

Some stats:

Race day: late July

1-loop, river swim

Total bike course climbing: ~4000 ft.

Random Trivia: Vineman gets its name due to taking place in California's wine region

Pros: 

• From what I've heard, it's a great venue and a great course
• Some rolling hills, but nothing to cry yourself to sleep about
• Non-IM brand = cheaper entrance fee
• Oldest full-distance Ironman distance race in continental US (1990)
• Capped at ~1000 participants, so less congested, more "grassroots" vibe

Cons:

• Longest drive of the four treatment options
• This is a controversial topic among triathletes, but does a race lose something (prestige? buzz?) vs. an official Ironman-branded race? I don't have the answer to that... it very well may be a better experience

In summary I'll continue to monitor my symptoms, but it's comforting to know there are four excellent treatment options on the table should the need arise!

Open Water Tips From a Mediocre Swimmer

First of all, let me be clear that I’m not an elite swimmer. Some people are naturally a “fish” from a young age. Not me. I hated swimming lessons as a kid. I never had a phobia of water, but just didn't like it. I casually began experimenting with swimming as a way to stay in shape after hurting my knee running in my early 20’s. A few months later I did my first triathlon and the rest is history. I joined a masters team, which helped me a ton. In addition to a handful of triathlons a year, I also raced ~20 aquathons (just swim/run) on Thursday evenings in Wisconsin's often choppy Lake Mendota. I credit these experiences with helping me stay calm during the swim at my insane, white-cap Ironman debut in 2012.

All that said, here are some things that help me tackle the infamous washing machine that is the triathlon swim:

1) Get in the water as soon as possible. I tell this to everyone. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, this time is invaluable, especially if the water is cold. Do breaststroke, tread water, whatever. Just get acclimated before the gun goes off.

2) While warming up, get your mind ready as well. It’s not an ego thing, but I often say to myself “I’m a good swimmer, I’m a good swimmer.” I’ve worked hard, and so have you! Think about all the hard practice sessions you've put in and get into that Bring It On mentality.

come on in, the water's fine

3) Position yourself well – use common sense here... if you're the fastest fish in the water then by all means, line up front and center. CAUTION: if you're not, you will get run over. Start on the side or towards the back until you've got some experience and greater confidence in open water.

4) Stay calm – get plenty of air. A couple things help me when I’m feeling short of breath: it sounds weird, but every now and then as I’m breathing I’ll take a peek up at the sky and think to myself “look at all that air up there.” It’s easy for newer triathletes to feel a bit claustrophobic at times… that little mind trick seems to help. Keep your mindset positive no matter what. At Ironman, waves were crashing in my face and I couldn’t see a thing, but I was laughing in the water saying “this is craaaaaazzyyy!!” Lastly, focus on exhaling fully in the water, which really helps regulate your breathing.

5) Play a song in your head – It helps to get you in a rhythm and can be a nice little distraction.

6) Protect yourself – the fact of the matter is, you're going to experience some incidental contact with other swimmers. It's tough to avoid that 100%. Protect your space, but if someone’s just repeatedly all over you pop up for a second and pick a new line.

7) Finish strong – keep swimming til your "hand touches sand." You’re excited to get out of the water, but you’ll be faster swimming it in than wading like a sea lion to transition just because it's shallow enough to stand.

Have fun and good luck!

Get Off Me!! - Taming the Untamable

Last week my fam and I spent some time in the city of St. George, where my in-laws live. One of the days, my mother-in-law (a principal and former teacher) hired a former student to help with some stuff on their property. Long story short, before he left he went to his van and pulled out a huge bird known as a Red-tailed Hawk to show my kids. This thing clearly had a chip on its shoulder, was a master of the “stink eye,” and looked like it could claw and/or peck you apart in no time. Evidently the hawk is this guy’s pet, and he described how he hunts with her, has trained her to listen to his commands, etc. He did, however, lament that he hasn’t been as consistent as he should with training her, and that he’s “probably lost some ground” in terms of taming her over the last several months.

As my wife and I attempted to tame the wild stallion that is the Ironman 70.3 St. George course, I felt the same way. Based on how roughly the course treated us after an 11-month absence, we’ve probably lost some ground in terms of taming her.

Due to the family connection (and being within driving distance) I’ve done the Ironman races in St. George the last three years. From 2010-2012 it was Ironman St. George, and I caught the last year of the full. IMSG was notorious for being one of, if not the hardest, course on the Ironman circuit, and failed to sell out that last year largely due to people being scared away. For 2013 the race was changed to a 70.3, and has been the US Pro Championships race at that distance since.

For some reason it seems like both the old and new course do not like to be conquered, whether it’s race day or just a training day, similar to an irate, bucking bull doing everything in its power to eject a cowboy off its back. I’m not doing the race (held May 2) this year, but my wife is for the 2nd consecutive year. We set out to ride the course, which starts in a town appropriately called Hurricane. It was extremely windy, and as we started out circling Sand Hollow Reservoir, we were pelted with a stinging sandstorm. Once passed that, the wind continued to howl through Hurricane before slightly mellowing out. About 2/3 into our ride the course then threw a flat at Lindsay, which we fixed as a curious lizard watched on three feet away. It wasn’t pretty, but we ultimately finished the ride.

get off me!!

Our last day in St. George I set out to solo ride a loop of the old IM course (~44 miles). St. George in general gets an A+ for scenery, but this loop is especially amazing. That helps make up for some killer hills on this loop, including an infamous climb known as “The Wall.” I had what felt to me to be a slight headwind on the way out, but once I crested The Wall, I was pounded with a far nastier headwind on the more exposed highway that leads back to town. It seemed to defy the laws of physics, leading me to believe it was just the course once again messing with me for old time’s sake.

You may never ride a bull, nor tame a Red-tailed Hawk, but if you get the chance I encourage you to do this race and/or tackle other challenging courses sometime. You probably won’t PR, but the reward for taming the untamable is pretty sweet!

The Nod of Approval

There are a few triathlon-related things that I always do:

• When swimming, I always splash myself three times in the face before putting on my goggles (I think this began from watching some Olympians do it several years ago)
• When biking, I always finish my rides practicing the one leg dismount
• When running, I always give the “nod of approval” upon crossing paths with another runner

I’m sure that last statement has many of you nodding in approval yourselves. For the uninformed, the runner’s nod of approval is the ultimate sign of mutual respect. Although simple, the act of acknowledging another runner with a small but friendly nod has a powerful connotation, as if to say “I feel ya. Carry on, my friend.” I don’t know its historical roots, but runners have exhibited this sign of camaraderie for eons. 

As in other aspects of life, there are varying levels to the nod of approval. I had a college professor, who, although he didn’t come out and say it, had three distinct levels of approval that we picked up on pretty quickly. If you gave what was in his mind a “good” answer, he would point his finger at you multiple times in a tomahawk fashion while nodding in rhythm.  A “great” answer earned you an open-palm hand pointing in your direction while he looked at the rest of the class and nodded slowly, as if to say “this girl/guy owns you.” Lastly, an out-of-this-world comment earned both arms spread wide as he looked to the sky and nodded, as if to say “such an answer could only have come from the heavens.” I didn’t get any of those.  

So too is the case with the runner’s nod. While I always give the nod, not all are alike.  Similar to that old professor, here are my three levels of approval:

1)    It’s a nice day out and I come across someone jogging comfortably. I’ll give a friendly nod, as if to say “beautiful day, isn’t it? Way to take advantage of it.”

2)    I cross paths with someone who’s clearly in some pain, pushing the pace or maybe just new to running. The nod packs a little more punch, as if to say “you’ve got this... stay strong!”  Although the motion may be very similar, I’m sure it carries them through at least the next mile.

3)    My highest level of approval is reserved for rainy, snowy, super cold, hot, or otherwise adverse conditions. These brave warriors earn a nod that is best summed up by Walt and Jesse below. From time to time I've also been known to literally issue a fist bump or high five as we pass. Without fail it has been well received.

So… does the nod exist in biking?  In my opinion it has crossed over to some degree, but for whatever reason is not as prevalent. This could be due to the fact that turning to nod and/or wave on a bike presents greater risk of bodily harm. I don’t know. I usually give the nod on the bike as well, but it is only reciprocating ~50-60% of the time. On the flip side, I’d say the runner’s nod is more like 80-90% of the time. It’s so commonplace that when it’s not returned, I have no ill will towards the person, thinking to myself “must be dealing with a rookie here.”  However, in the same situation with cyclists, for some reason I often think something along the lines of “what a prick!” Double standard?? Yeah, probably.